At about 9:25 pm Tuesday evening, an incident occurred at the Strat in Las Vegas. A man reportedly jumped to his death from the 109th observation deck. No details on the identity of the man or why he jumped.
Officers closed off Las Vegas Boulevard in both directions between Bob Stupak Drive and St. Louis after receiving reports of an apparent suicide involving a person who appeared to have jumped from the Strat.
According to the Clark County Coroner’s office, the individual involved in the incident died from suicide.
The Strat Hotel released this statement:
First and foremost, we want to offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased.
We have measures in place for the safety of our guests and team members at the SkyPod, whether they are riding our thrill rides or visiting the Observation Deck. There was not a safety lapse on any of our thrill rides, including SkyJump, nor is it possible to accidentally fall from any area that is accessible to the public.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, we encourage you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline of Nevada at 877-885-4673.
Strat Hotel Jumper Committed Suicide, Nevada Coroner Reveals
It was revealed Wednesday that he was a 30-year-old resident of Henderson, Nev., according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Metro police did not provide a reason for him jumping.
It appears he landed near a ground-level entranceway close to a sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard, according to Vital Vegas.
Police were first notified about the incident at about 9 pm Tuesday in what was described initially as an “apparent suicide.” As they investigated the incident, cops closed off Las Vegas Boulevard in both directions between Bob Stupak Drive and St. Louis Avenue, according to KLAS, a local TV station.
In response, Strat released a statement to Casino.org on Wednesday. It reads:
“First and foremost, we want to offer our sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased.
We have measures in place for the safety of our guests and team members at the SkyPod, whether they are riding our thrill rides or visiting the Observation Deck. There was not a safety lapse on any of our thrill rides, including SkyJump, nor is it possible to accidentally fall from any area that is accessible to the public.”
The statement adds if someone is struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, “We encourage you to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline of Nevada at 877-885-4673.”
Prior Fatal Jumps From The Strat
In an unrelated incident, in 2000 a 24-year-old Utah man killed himself after jumping from the same hotel, formerly known as the Stratosphere. Mitchell M. Mayfield of Tooele jumped off the observation deck at the hotel’s tower, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
He landed in some shrubs in a valet parking area, reports published at the time revealed.
To jump from the deck, it was determined Mayfield climbed over several railings, barriers, and fences. The Strat also had a security guard on duty on the observation deck, but Mayfield made his way through the barriers very quickly, the hotel revealed.
Two years later, a 16-year-old Las Vegas boy also jumped to his death from Stratosphere Tower. Levi Walton Presley jumped from the outdoor observation deck.
He landed on a hotel driveway near Las Vegas Boulevard, Metro police told the Sun. His death was ruled a suicide by the coroner’s office.
Other people also have tried to jump off the observation deck, but security guards and others were able to convince them to return to safety, the Sun said. Some people have also tried to jump from elsewhere in the complex.
Recent Murder-Suicides at Las Vegas Hotel-Casinos
In other recent incidents, suicides took place at other Las Vegas gaming properties or hotels. For instance, in March, a Wynn Las Vegas security officer and an employee of the hotel-casino died in what police described as an apparent murder-suicide in a parking garage at the Strip location.
Also, in August, two women were found on a hotel bed shot dead in a room at Las Vegas’ Palms Place Hotel & Spa, part of the Palms Casino Resort. Their deaths were later ruled to be murder-suicide.